"NOT KIDS' STUFF: FINED FOR HAVING PORN COMICS FOR SALE"
-- The Straits Times, 10 Jun 1997

Nothing wrong with the headline that appeared in the Straits Times on 10 Jun 1997 -- nothing wrong until you realise that it reinforces the notion that comics are mostly meant for kids. For good or bad, quite a few Singaporens tend to have a fix idea of what anime (Japanese animation) and manga (comics) are. In another letter to The Straits Time's Life! section, a worried mother -- while criticising adultery in the Japanese movie Shitsurakuen-- couldn't resist taking a swipe at the manga and animation industries for what she alleged as a perversion towards sex and violence.

How true are all these stereotypes? The media in the west have had their share in the bashing, with papers like The Dallas Morning News criticising anime/manga for violence and sexuality. Even CNN had joined in the act on some occasion. But how true are these allegations? Is that all anime/manga are about -- entertainment for the immatured or perverted, while Disney's animations are all wholesome goodness?

I was a staunch Disney follower as a kid, but for almost 15 years or so, have been an anime/manga fan. Through my experience I've realised that while people talk about anime/manga, not many people really know what they are about. I've heard parents complain about them being bad influence, seen censors cut scenes off with such nonchalance it hurts, watched the local broadcasting station (TCS) make a mess of the anime they show. And even among fans, I've met many who still think that anime's only about robots, babes, pseudo-intellectual cyberpunk stuff, and nothing else.

Thought I'd try my hand in getting some things straightened out here. At least, I'm trying. ^_^

The following is a list of FAQs (frequently asked questions) which I feel would be of interest to those who want to know more about anime/manga -- whether they're parents, broadcasters, journalists, or fans. Most are my own opinions, so feel free to e-mail me if you have strong objections to some of the stuff I've written. There's a longer FAQ list on the Web (rec.arts.anime.misc), but thought I'd put something that's closer to the local context.

Yukino Yoshi - 11 Nov 97